Pile-cutting machine



I Sept. 11, 1.928.

C. A. ROBINSON PILE CUTTING MACHNE Filed Feb. 7, 1927 TTORNE Patented Sept. l1, 1928.

j y e 1,684,113L

UNITED STATES lMTENT oFFlcE. f

CHARLES ANDREW ROBINSON, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO IYIERRI- MACK MANFG CO., OF LOWELL, ,MASSACHUSETTS A CORPORATION OF rMASSA- CHUSETTS.

PILE-CUTTING MACHINE. l

' Application filed February 7, 1927. serial No. 166,306.

This invention relates to machines for cutting thepile forming threadsof Vcorduroy,

and similar'fabrics. The invention is especially concerned with the mechanism for determining when the cutter `guides which normally lie just under the threads'which are to be cuthave passed above instead of under said threads.

The usual type of cutting machine of this character comprises a series of disk cutters and a guide associated witheach cutter, the guides penetrating the weave between the body ply and the pile formingl threads. It has been customary heretofore to place a metal strip just above the guides and eX tending across the entire series of guides, thisvstrip resting upon the surface ofthe fabric being cut. Vhen anv guide is deiiected above the threadswhich are to be cut` it comes in contact with the metal strip and closes anelectric circuit which causes the stopping of the machine in a manner well known in this art. If anyof the guides should pass downwardly through the fabric they would come in contact with another metal plate or strip over which the fabric is fed .and thus close the .electric circuit and stop the machine in the same manner.

' This arrangement is, in general, sufficiently reliable for cutting ordinary corduroy, but in cutting` certain fancy corduroys and other pile fabrics which include more than one set'of threads that mustfbe cut, it frequently happens that one ormore guides pass above one set of threads while still remaining' under another set whichshould be cut. This latter set of threads prevents the guidesfrom making contact with the metal strip and closing the electric circuit to operate the stop motion. A

The present invention deals with the problem presented by these conditions, and it aims to devise a detecting mechanism or contact mechanism which can handle a wider range of workthan yprior mechanisms. It is a particular object of the invention to devise a contact mechanism for stop motions which can be used satisfactorily in the cutting of fancy corduroys and similar fabrics as welly as corduroys of themore common type5 The natureY ofthe invention will be read- Fig. 2 is a vertical, cross-sectionalfview showing, on a larger scale, certain details of the mechanism shown in Fig. l;

Fig/3 is a plan view, partly in cross-sec# tion, illustrating themanner in which the guides and cutters cooperate; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-'sectional view, partly in elevation, showing a detail of the mounting of one ofthe contact disks.

comprises'a series' of disk cutters 2 of the usual type, allmounted on a shaft 3. Associated with each cutter is a guide `4 of the.

type ,commonlyv used in machines lof this character. The fabric F is fed to. the cutters in the direction indicatedY by ,the arrow The mechanism shown in the drawings` in Fig. l, travels over the usual metal plate i 5, and meets the cutters 2 immediately oppo-` site the-rounded upper edge of a guide 6.

During thecutting operation the guides 4;

are given a short horizontal reciprocating movement which facilitates the lentrance of therounded forward ends of thev guides un- 'der theloosefpile forming threads at thel upper side of the fabric,lthe 'proper position of thev guides being between these threads and the closely woven body'ply of thegoods.

The plate 5 is connected through a` contact post 7 and a conductor 8 tolthe stop motion (not shown) while the metal guides et are also connected throughl another conductor 9 tothe stop motion.y Consequently, if the guides fl shouldA be-A deflected down- Vwardly through the fabric into contact'with the plate 5, they would immediately close vthe electric circuit and operate the stop motion, thus shutting down the machine.

The mechanism so rfar described is substantially likethat heretofore used.

Themechanism shown as embodying this invention includes a series of Contact disks' all mounted looselyl on a stationary sh a ft l2 so that they can rotate on and also move up and down on said shaft, this shaft being` supported ina series of brackets, one of Which is shown atl/l. Each ofl these brackets is secured to or formed integralavitha.

metal striplr,r and this entire series of metal 5 and 16. The plate lli can alsomove back-l ward and forward,ontop ofthe cloth.` VV@lt ivill be observed that .the disks 10 .are Asuppoitedfin yieldingycontact with the .fabric Rand they preferably. are, so spacedor are of such dimensions ;tliat :one ,disk Ais posiv tioned immediately above each guide Lkthe edge of eaclrclisk being heldout con t; "twiiith its respective 4.fluide solely ,bythe pile forming threads of thefabric. In practice, `however,"this alinement of the disks and `guides isAobt-ained rather infrequently y but :the,arrangement is such that somevdisk will contact ,with any exposed guide. `It shouldbe,notedthat the tr-.fometal plates 5 and "16 -areelectrically connected together. Consequently, ifanyrguide l should .be de- `flected upwardlyf through.` the `gfabric, it wouldengage one ofrthedisks i() .and thus complete the electric circuit neccssaryto operatethe stop motion.` f f -llil'hile a smoothedged eircularfdisk.would be more effective ,than the flat metal strip ivliiclji has `been `commonly vused heretofore,

cause the edge of the disk vwould sink in y'litly bet-Ween :the loosethreads of `iilling ai l ma-ke an electrical vContact with the cutter ,guide Where a `flat metal strip would be heldfvout of contact With the guide a very feiv threads, still Athese `disks can be f made: even more effectiveby notching their l oheral portions.. referably t-he .disks are made of ay toothed form similar to a cog Wheel, as clearly shown `in the drawings. lilith lthis construction, if a. guide is `deflectcd uiziivardly so that it rises above one set of pile forinincf threads but still lies under anotherset, the teeth vof the Contact disk labove it Awill `project between .the threads and make a contact with` the guidesuthcient .to close vthe `electrical circuit, so ,that r,the machine Will-be stopped before incorrect cutting ,has occurred.

flhe mechanism thus yope ates very reli- .ably .to complete the `electric `circuit neceslsary to operate `the stop motion Whenever any Vof the guides are deflected upwardly out of their normal positions.v At. the same time the guides are |deliected downwardly they operate'exactlyvas before 4to effect the stopping` the machine. While this mechanismis particularly valiialile s in lcutting desi 18 ,t0 ,review .any Portions 0f threads whichlare completely severed yas sometimes done in cutting `fancy corduroy.r

While lhave herein shownand described the bestembodiment of my invention that -f liaiievsofiarl devised, it Will be understood that the invei'ition may be embodied in other foi-ins f without departing 1 from the .spirit or scono thereof. y da vin thus described my. invention, what re,to claim asnewis:

.1; ln a machineFfor cutting= the threadsof fabricsto forma pile` thereon, the combina: tion .with agcutter .and a guide therefor adapted to enter the fabricibetiveengthe,body portion .thereof ,and 'pile ,forming threads, of a toothed contact disleand means for supporting said disk in ,l cooperative frelationship to said guide. ,V A l 2. ln a machine fiforicutting .the threads offabri s to form.avpilethereonhthe combi-r nationV 'th a cutter and a .guide .therefor ad; ated to enterthe fabricgbetween thebody .p thr ads, ofv a toothedl contact. disk,- and means for ,support-ing `said ,disk with lisce-ige in Contact iwith the fabric immediately labove said guide and in ,position to engage the y gr-ide Whenever the. .guide is deflected upyivardlyoutof yits normal position. ,Y

3. ln a machine `for'cutting the threads ion thereof ,andv ,the ,pile l:forming .of fabrics to produce a :pile thereon,.a conc Atact mechanism foran electric stop Imotion comprising the combinationof a cutterguiole adapted-to enter .the fabric between the body portion .thereof and .the pile forming threads, .a toothed contact disk, and means for supporting said disk in contact Withthe fabric immediately abovethe vguide and `for .rotationiby said Contact Withgthe cloth. Y

A 4l. In a .machine for cutt-ingvthe.threads of fabrics to rproduce a pile thereon, the com- .bination of a series of cutters, Yguides associated ,with said `cuttersand eac-h adapted to enter the fabric lbetween .the vbody ply there-A of and the. vpile forming threads, a metal plate underlying said guides and acrossiwhich Ithe fabricis fed-tosvardsaid cutters, a series :of `toothed contact disks, means for supportingV saidv disks `with their edges in Contact Awith ,the fabric immediately above the guides, land circuitfconnections to said plate, guides andA disks. v

5. na machine ,forcutting the ,threadsof fabrics to produce a pile thereon, thecoinrbination of a series of cutters, a .guide associated with each' cutter, 4each of saidv guides being` adapted to enter the fabric between llO the body ply thereof and the Apile forming threads7 a vseries of Contact disks, a metal plate underlying saidv guides and across which the fabric is fed toward said cutters, and means for holding said disks With their edges resting on the fabric immediately above said guides and in position toengage any Vguide Wliichis deflected upwardly through the fabric, said holding means permitting a. limited movement of the disks independently of each other toward or from the surface of the fabric.

CHARLES ANDREW ROBINSON. 

